CEO will depart golf’s ruling body by end of yearWillingness to court Saudi Arabia had raised eyebrows
The R&A has surprisingly announced Martin Slumbers is to leave his role as the chief executive. Slumbers, 63, has been in position since succeeding Peter Dawson in 2015. He will depart golf’s ruling body by the end of this year, with a recruitment team already having been appointed to find a new chief executive. Sources at the organisation insist Slumbers always intended to stay in post for between five and 10 years but there had been no indication the Englishman was about to depart St Andrews. Slumbers will exit with his sport still trying to plot a path towards a successful future involving existing tours and the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund.
Slumbers said: “It has been a privilege to serve golf at the highest level. It is a role that I have been proud to carry out on behalf of the R&A’s employees, the members of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club and all our global partners. In any career, there is a time to allow the next generation to have its turn. I am grateful to have had the honour, for nearly a decade, to have been the custodian of all that the R&A and the game of golf more broadly represents.”